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It's official: Hwy. 638 to get interchange at bypass

The Ministry of Transportation has completed a study to add an interchange to Highway 17 at Echo Bay, and is making progress in consulting with Batchewana First Nation to extend the four-lane bypass through the Rankin Reserve.

As has been debated for the last several years, the MTO recommends an on-off ramp and bridge at Highway 638, so those crossing don't have to contend with two lanes of oncoming traffic, said regional issues adviser Gordan Rennie Wednesday.

While traffic volumes in that area are relatively low and "there are lots of opportunities to make that turn, in the future ... we see the traffic growing and the need for this," Rennie said.

Township residents and political leaders were pressing the province to replace the at-grade intersection with an interchange even before an area teacher was critically injured in a traffic accident there in 2008. Macdonald, Meredith and Aberdeen Additional Township officials estimate 1,200 to 1,800 vehicles travel on Highway 638 daily, including logging trucks, school buses and campers coming from Sylvan Valley.

The plan is part of an improvement strategy for Highway 17 from Sault Ste. Marie to Ottawa "to improve safety and operations on this important Trans-Canada corridor," he said.

"The current focus is on planning where the ministry project team will carry out an environmental assessment, consult with local municipalities, First Nations, property owners and stakeholders, and identify and protect a future highway alignment."

The highway is used by long-haul truckers travelling from Eastern Canada to Northern Ontario and western Canada, as well as local travellers.

He said the MTO is also in the "very preliminary" stages of hooking the four-year-old, 29-km highway bypass up to Second Line West through Batchewana First Nation. He said "discussions are underway with Batchewana First Nation to conduct a planning study for future four-laning from the existing four-lane highway to the north end of Sault Ste. Marie."

The ministry is acquiring a consultant engineering firm, and next steps include setting out terms of reference for an environmental assessment, followed by the study itself. He said they expect to be underway on the planning study in "about a year."

Some sections of the corridor are more advanced than others. A study for a bypass in southwest Sudbury was completed last year, Rennie said.

As well, a planning study began recently to four-lane the highway from Sudbury to Markstay and a study is being completed to four-lane 26 kilometres from North Bay to Bonfield. That study is expected to take about three years.

Rennie noted the province will spend $774 million in 2010-11 to expand and repair Northern Ontario highways, $125 million more than last year and "a record investment for Northern Ontario."